"Activist Investors Aim to Pressure America's Struggling Banks"
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 28 2025
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Source: CNBC
Activism in Banking: Hedge fund HoldCo, led by Vik Ghei and Misha Zaitzeff, is challenging regional banks with over $200 billion in assets, demanding accountability from CEOs and boards, and has initiated campaigns against several banks, including a proxy battle against Columbia Bank.
Recent Success: HoldCo achieved a significant victory with Comerica's merger with Fifth Third for $10.9 billion, marking the largest bank merger of the year, and has since targeted smaller banks like Eastern Bank and First Interstate for similar activist campaigns.
Critique of Bank Management: The founders of HoldCo argue that many regional bank CEOs prioritize personal financial gain over shareholder interests, leading to underperformance and excessive compensation, which they aim to rectify through public pressure and proxy battles.
Market Impact and Future Plans: HoldCo's activism is gaining traction in the banking sector, prompting other banks to reassess their capital plans in anticipation of scrutiny, while the firm plans to continue its campaigns and publish reports on banks that fail to protect shareholder value.
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Analyst Views on EBC
Wall Street analysts forecast EBC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for EBC is 21.90 USD with a low forecast of 20.00 USD and a high forecast of 23.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
5 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 20.485
Low
20.00
Averages
21.90
High
23.00
Current: 20.485
Low
20.00
Averages
21.90
High
23.00
About EBC
Eastern Bankshares, Inc. is the holding company for Eastern Bank (The Bank). Eastern Bank is a local bank with approximately 109 branch locations serving communities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Company provides a full range of banking and wealth management solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes including through its Cambridge Trust Wealth Management division. Its diversified products and services include lending, deposit, and wealth management. offer a range of demand deposit accounts, interest checking accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts and time certificates of deposit accounts. Its lending focuses on the various loan categories: commercial and industrial, including its asset-based lending portfolio, commercial real estate, commercial construction, small business banking, residential real estate and home equity loans.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Eastern Bank Provides $15.5 Million Financing for Brockton Mill Redevelopment
- Financing Support: Eastern Bank has provided $15.5 million in construction financing to Causeway Development for the redevelopment of a historic mill in downtown Brockton, aiming to revitalize the local economy.
- Housing Unit Composition: The project will feature 30 mixed-income housing units, including 10 market-rate units, 15 affordable units (up to 60% of Area Median Income), and 5 Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program units (up to 30% AMI), offering diverse housing options for the community.
- Community-Oriented Development: Causeway Development specializes in transforming underutilized properties into lasting homes and vibrant community anchors, reflecting its commitment to preserving the character of New England communities while fostering economic growth.
- Partnership Dynamics: Eastern Bank's Community Development Lending team collaborates closely with Causeway Development, leveraging a blend of Low-Income Housing and Historic Tax Credits to ensure the project's sustainability and enhance economic opportunities in the area.
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Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (EBC) Reports 62% Earnings Growth in Q4 2025, Focuses on Organic Growth Post-Merger
- Strong Performance: Eastern Bankshares reported a net income of $99.5 million in Q4 2025, translating to $0.46 per diluted share, with operating earnings increasing by 28% linked quarter, demonstrating robust profitability and market competitiveness.
- Robust Loan Growth: The company originated $2.5 billion in commercial loans in 2025, with total loans increasing by $4.7 billion linked quarter, indicating strong organic growth potential and market demand post-merger.
- Record Wealth Management Assets: By year-end 2025, the company's wealth management assets reached a record high of $10.1 billion, reflecting significant growth and enhanced client trust in the wealth management sector.
- Capital Return Strategy: Management plans to continue returning capital to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in 2026, projecting loan growth of 3% to 5%, showcasing confidence in future growth and ongoing capital management capabilities.
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